Christmas Dash
by Tanderule
Summary: In which Rose Weasley avoids one Scorpius Malfoy for two weeks straight.


It had been two weeks since Rose had last encountered Scorpius. She had been avoiding him.

Everyone at Hogwarts had gone off with their families for Christmas break and she and Scorpius were the only people left, not including Hagrid, Filch, and Mrs. Norris.

She had been avoiding him because during Potions those two weeks ago, Scorpius had been passing notes with his friend Noah and one of them wound up in Rose's possession. This note read the following:

**Noah: It's been a while since you've talked to Albus, eh?**

**Scorpius: Yeah, it has. He's been studying for this one Potions test for ages, which is weird because a) He never studies for anything ever and b) He says he's going to drop potions the next chance he gets.**

**Noah: We should invite him for a drink next time we're out, yeah?**

**Scorpius: Maybe. Should we invite anyone else, while we're at it?**

**Noah: Maybe Albus and Teddy and Lysander?**

**Scorpius: Not Teddy. He's great and all and we're mates, but he's really invested in that girl Vicky. Never shuts up about her despite the fact that she's a total bitch.**

**Noah: You sure? Vicky isn't all that bad.**

**Scorpius: You just say that because you are madly and hopelessly in love with her.**

**Noah: Shut up. I am not.**

**Scorpius: Yeah, _sure_. How about Rose?**

**Noah: Speaking of people that others are madly and hopelessly in love with…**

**Scorpius: Point being?**

**Noah: You need to get over her. She clearly friend-zoned you millennia ago.**

**Scorpius: Look, so what if I love her? She's still fun to go out for drinks with.**

**Noah: If she goes, it will be a date between you two, okay? I'm not going to interfere.**

**Scorpius: Okay. I'll ask her out for drinks.**

That's how far the scroll got before it ended up on Rose's desk. Of course, after reading this, she didn't really want to talk to Scorpius to say that she wasn't really into him or wanted to go out for drinks because she thought that they tasted vile.

That Christmas, she stayed alone in her dormitory and not in the Ravenclaw common room because Scorpius, a fellow Ravenclaw, was always hanging out there. She had installed a camera to keep an eye on the common room for safe times to leave and get food and mail. The camera was connected to a portable television device called an iPad Mini. Sure, using Muggle technology wasn't always Rose's favourite, but it worked out pretty well. She had safely avoided him and managed to stay very silent the few times he came to knock on her door, most likely to ask for that drink.

Today was a Tuesday, Christmas Day. That day, Scorpius had come knocking on her door five times, and one time Rose nearly revealed that she was in there. She felt bad for Scorpius, but she didn't want to hurt him by further "friend-zoning" him. She knew how that felt.

Rose was on her way out to collect her presents from under the Christmas tree when Scorpius came striding down the stairs from his dorm. Rose panicked and decided that leaving the common room itself was faster than going back up to her dorm. She ran faster than a lightning bolt to the door, and opened it and closed it swiftly. She was loud, but she had also evaded him. She ran down the halls and ran until she left the castle and reached Hagrid's Hut.

She knocked on the door, wondering if he had followed her, and the door opened to reveal a large, furry giant of a man.

"Ro'!" Hagrid said happily, "I was wonderin' when yeh'd be stopping' by!"

"Happy Christmas, Hagrid," Rose said, smiling.

"Well, now, come in, come in," Hagrid said, opening the door wider.

Rose stepped into the warm, small hut. A small Christmas tree was set up with a few presents under it, one labeled _Rose_ in careful, neat cursive. She had no idea Hagrid could write like that.

"Wow, Hagrid," she said about the present. "Thank you. I'm sorry I haven't brought anything for you yet. I was kind of in a rush to get out."

"It's fine, Ro'. Yeh didn' have to get anythin' for me," Hagrid said.

"No, it's not," Rose said. She then remembered that she didn't have her iPad to see if Scorpius was still in the common room. She cursed herself.

Before anyone else could say anything, there was a knock on the door.

"Hagrid, are you there?" a voice called from outside.

"Tha'll be Scorpius, now," Hagrid said, going to answer the door.

Rose panicked again. "I just realized that I have to go now. I'll be back with your present in a bit," she said quickly, running to the back door and opening it. "I'm really sorry, Hagrid!"

Hagrid smiled sadly. "Okay, then. Yeh sure yeh don' wan' to stay?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Sorry, again," Rose said slipping out the back door quickly.

She knew that the snow could trace her steps easily, so she wasn't sure how to get out of her dilemma. After hearing footsteps approach the back door, she just ran, not caring if she could be tracked.

As she was running back to the castle, she heard a voice call after her, but she didn't turn. She could hear faint steps in the packing snow running after her, but she was too quick.

She ran back to the Ravenclaw tower, but she knew that Scorpius was hot on her trail. She said the answer to the question she was asked at the door, but that was her trick. She ran towards the kitchens, where the house elves were cooking food.

A house elf called Blinky greeted her.

"Hello Rose Weasley!" he said, excited.

"Hi, Blinky," Rose said, trying to catch her breath. "If anyone comes near here and asks if anyone but you guys here, please tell them no, and if they try to search, please stop them."

Blinky looked worried. "Is Rose Weasley okay? Blinky is concerned about his friend."

"I'm… I'm fine, I just need to be alone for a bit."

Blinky took Rose's hand and led her across the kitchen to a small door in the wall.

"Blinky thinks that this will be a nice place to be along," he said. "It is larger inside and has lots of food and books and nice smelling things. It should be nice to stay in, and if someone comes and leaves, Blinky will tell you."

Rose opened the door and heard footsteps running towards the kitchen. She slipped in quickly, thanked Blinky, and closed the doors.

The room was larger inside, just as Blinky had told her. She crawled to the very back of the room because it did not get much taller, and sat there. She could hear what was happening outside of the doors.

Scorpius (she assumed it was him since he was the one trying to get a hold of her for the last two weeks) ran in, also needing to catch his breath, and said, "Blinky! Is Rose here?"

Blinky seemed to think about the question and probably contemplated lying to him and the consequences of it. He finally decided on, "Rose who?"

"Rose Weasley. She comes in here loads," Scorpius said,

"Oh, Rose Weasley!" he said. "She is a very nice friend of Blinky. Very nice indeed."

"Did she come in here?" he asked again. There was longing and slight pain in his voice.

Blink thought again. "No, no. No Weasleys in here."

Scorpius sighed. "You sure? Did she come in here at all today? It's really important."

"Yes, very sure. Now, goodbye Scorpius Malfoy!" Blinky said, clearly expecting that to be the end of it.

"Fine," Scorpius said sadly. He walked off, and a few minutes later, Blinky knocked on the door, signaling the coast was clear.

"Did Blinky do okay?" Blink asked, his large crystal orb eyes sparkling.

Rose nodded. "Excellently. I'll have to put in a good word for you to Professor McGonagall, telling her what a superb job you've done."

Blinky squealed in excitement. "That is a very kind thing to do, Rose Weasley! Headmistress McGonagall is very important to Blinky!"

Rose smiled and patted his head. "I'll bet. Now I'd better be getting on. Thanks so much!"

"Until next time, Rose Weasley!" Blinky said after her as she walked out into the hallways, her Mary Janes clicking against the cobble stoned floors.

Rose considered what the worst thing about going for a drink with Scorpius could be. He was nice and they were friends. Honestly, he wouldn't make a bad boyfriend.

But Rose wasn't interested. At all. Drinks tasted vile and she didn't want any at all.

She figured that her stubbornness was hindering him more than helping him, so she finally decided that if she encountered him, she would just turn his offer down.

This opportunity came a few hours after the adventure in the kitchen, when Rose checked to see if the common room was clear, which it was. She took a book down with her and curled up on a soft, TARDIS blue couch. Her presents were still under the tree. She figured that she'd bring them up with her when she left for bed. It was getting late out and they weren't getting any newer.

She was reading a book called A Game of Thrones when she heard footsteps step towards her. She pretended she didn't know he was there and continued with her book. She liked Arya, Jon, and Daenerys, and she was sure that at least one of them was going to die sometime in the series.

Scorpius cleared his throat. Rose continued to ignore him. She was still being stubborn.

"You know," Scorpius said tiredly, "You can be an arse sometimes. Did you know that?"

Rose looked up from her book, which was good because there was an upcoming sex scene.

"Would you like to tell me why I am an arse?" she asked.

"Don't play coy with me," he said. "You know what's up and I'm really sick of it."

"Heartsick," muttered Rose.

"Sorry, what was that?" Scorpius snapped.

"Calm down," Rose said. "I'm trying to read, if you don't mind." She tried to resume her book, but Scorpius snatched it out of her hands.

"No, I will not calm down," he said. "You can try to understand what's up, can't you?"

"Nope. Book, please," she replied coolly, holding her hands out for her book.

Needless to say, her book was not returned to her.

"You've been avoiding me for some reason, haven't you? And don't bullshit me, Rose Weasley."

"Why don't you tell me what is going on, hmm?" Rose said, yawning and standing up.

"I don't know what's going on, but you need to cut the crap. You've avoided me for two weeks and even left Hagrid's today because you knew that I was there. Why?" he asked, no longer overly angry but more hurt and sad.

Rose sighed. "Victoire is not a bitch, and Teddy is doing the best he can to show her that he loves her. He can't ask his parents because they're dead, if you've forgotten. Victoire has been acting bitchy because her dad is on trial for a murder he didn't commit. It's been pretty obvious that Noah fancied Victoire and that's his problem. Albus is studying so hard because if he doesn't pass Potions this year, he gets shipped off to a school in Germany. I don't want to go out for drinks. I find them utterly vile. And I don't fancy you. I fancy Lysander, so I guess you won't be going out for drinks with him either. So, sorry," she said.

Scorpius looked like a broken vase. This was what Rose was trying to avoid.

"How did you, um, know about all of that?" he asked quietly.

"Tell Noah next time to pass notes to the right person during Potions and we won't have a problem," Rose said, snatching her book back.

"You could have told me all of this," Scorpius said quietly.

"Well, I didn't. And I resent being yelled at for knowing information that you are oblivious about," Rose said.

"Oh. Okay."

"I'd like to still be friends, even though that is like a kidnapper asking to stay in touch with their victim," Rose said.

Scorpius clearly found this to be no consolation whatsoever. "I guess so," he said.

"I'm sorry. I'll go out for coffee with you, though. As friends. And maybe, along the road, I might fall in love with you."

"Okay," Scorpius said.

"How about tomorrow we go for coffee? My treat?" Rose offered.

Scorpius nodded. "Okay. Happy Christmas, by the way."

"Ditto," Rose said.

Scorpius went upstairs and slammed his door.

Rose felt bad that she rejected him, but it was better that she was honest.

When she was going back up, she grabbed her presents from under the tree.

One of them was labeled, _To the fair Rose Weasley, Love Scorpius_

This made Rose feel even worse because this feeling he had to her when he made the present was probably being crushed by the terrible rock called rejection.


End file.
